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First Post of 2013!

Hello!

Happy New Year! I’m having a tough time keeping our blog updated since we don’t currently have wireless internet. I just wanted to give you a brief update on how our family is doing these days and what we’re up to.

We are still in South Dakota and will be here until about the 24th of January. It’s funny – we never have this much “down time” and we’re both a little at “loose ends” at the moment. I catch myself thinking I need to hurry up and do lesson plans for the school… and then remember it’s no longer my responsibility! Brian is a bit bored, so he’s been helping friends of a friend do some projects around their house. He will be building a bunkbed for another friend this coming week if all goes well. We’re both working on separate presentations and we’re staying plenty busy with the kids. The weather has fluctuated from bitter cold to almost 60 and back again, so everybody but myself have finally contracted colds. So, between the weather and Elena’s cold, she’s been cooped up inside and is going a bit stir-crazy.

We did a bunch of research and figured out how to get vaccines for the children for barely any cost to us. Joseph hadn’t had any and Elena hadn’t had any since she was six months old. Yes, we do vaccinate and no, I am not writing this on our blog to engage in a debate on whether or not we should. With all the traveling we do, we believe it is the wisest choice for our family. Between the last two weeks, Joseph got caught up on vaccines and will just need boosters in a month. Elena got her first set of three last week and finished up today with another four and is now good for another month. In the end, Brian, Elena, and I were also able to get the flu shot… which I’m more and more thankful for the more I watch the news!

Two weeks ago was the “fun” day I had been dreading: the dentist. We have a good friend who just graduated from dental school and is practicing in Sturgis, SD. He was incredibly (!!!) generous and squeezed us into his busy schedule and did some free exams and fillings. Elena got a clean bill of dental health – phew! – but Brian and I both needed some work. On the 23rd, Brian will go back in for the rest of his work. We’d complain, but we knew we needed it and our friend is being incredibly helpful. Looks like we’ll be coming back out to SD in the summer so I can finish up some work, too. Not particularly looking forward to that, but oh well. Such is life.

The last thing on our list to do out here in SD is to get me new glasses. I’m really hoping that can happen in the next two weeks, but it’s not looking good!

On Sunday the 20th we will do some presentations at our church out here, the Christian Life Center.

On the way back to PA we will stop in WI again, for a little bit longer time stretch so we can visit more of my relatives now that the holidays are over. We plan to be back in PA by the beginning of February. February 6-8 we will be representing BCM at Baptist Bible College in Clarks Summit, PA, at their annual missions conference. This will be fun, especially since it’s only 20min away and many BBC students attend our sending church. Then on February 12-14 we will represent BCM again at Lancaster Bible College in Lancaster, PA. We will be able to meet with our leaders at our headquarters during that time as well. Finally, the end of February/beginning of March we head to North Carolina where I will be doing some teacher training at Abundant Hope Church. We’ve gotten to know members of this church during our time in Peru since they did annual missions trips down to BCM. One of their members, Peggy, is the woman who has taken my place teaching at the property. Another member, Sharise, is attending IBYM and spent a lot of time with us this past year in our home. Finally in March we should be able to quit traveling and settle down for awhile at Missionary Retreat Fellowship! The “retreat” part is sounding more and more alluring…

We hope you all are having a wonderful beginning of the new year! As I look back at 2012, I feel like it was a very long, productive year. As I look forward to 2013 I just wonder where we’re going to end up and how this year is going to pan out! We as a family are so thankful for our God Who holds our time in His hands. We don’t need to worry about our future or even be concerned about our tomorrows. As long as He is on His throne, He’s got it all under control… even when we feel out of control. Praise the Lord! No safer place to be than in His hands! We hope you are resting in that promise as well as you begin this glorious new year.